53rd Amstel Gold Race - 260km

[May0maniac]

Re:

Bahrain certainly has the team to rip this apart with Nibali, the Izaguirres, Gasparotto and Colbrelli. But it will be difficult for them to choose the right tactic, maybe the best one will be to chase every attack, and maybe if nothing sticks Sonny can win this.

I'd say it would be better to cover attacks an wheelsuck a bit instead of chasing them down for Colbrelli, try to have someone in all the big moves and don't do a lot of work with the excuse that you have Colbrelli in the main bunch.

 

[Zama_Olyas]

Re: Re:

Colbrelli has been sick during the cobble classics. I think he's now recovered but still not as strong as he was last year.

Speaking of Italian riders, Trek revealed today that Felline has been hit by toxoplasmosis and won't race until at least the end of May.

Felline was diagnosed with toxoplasmosis last year, but is apparently still not fully recovered. Recent blood tests still showed the parasite. Very unfortunate.

He might win the Tour de France four times now.

You won the lottery with this post ...here is 1000000 post added to your name.

 

[Laplaz]

Re: Re:

Bahrain certainly has the team to rip this apart with Nibali, the Izaguirres, Gasparotto and Colbrelli. But it will be difficult for them to choose the right tactic, maybe the best one will be to chase every attack, and maybe if nothing sticks Sonny can win this.

I'd say it would be better to cover attacks an wheelsuck a bit instead of chasing them down for Colbrelli, try to have someone in all the big moves and don't do a lot of work with the excuse that you have Colbrelli in the main bunch.

Yeah that were exactly my thoughts, i just didn't expressed myself to good

 

[Carstenbf]

About time that Jungels shows some form imo. Hoping for some decent showings next couple of weeks.

 

[WheelofGear]

Re:

I think Fuglsang has been quietly preparing himself for this, and can surprise people on Sunday..... through my main favorites are Valverde and Martin.

Fuglsang? The race doesn't suit him at all but maybe he can surprise in Liege. And the hills of Amstel are too soft for Martin. Doesn't suit him either.

You have to be more of a rouleur if they race it like last year. Or even better a punchuer-rouleur like Gilbert or Kwiatkowski.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re:

I think Fuglsang has been quietly preparing himself for this, and can surprise people on Sunday..... through my main favorites are Valverde and Martin.

What has Dan Martin done this year to make him your favorite?

Ardennes classics have really degraded if a rider like Dan Martin is a favorite.

 

[Zama_Olyas]

Re: Re:

I think Fuglsang has been quietly preparing himself for this, and can surprise people on Sunday..... through my main favorites are Valverde and Martin.

What has Dan Martin done this year to make him your favorite?

Ardennes classics have really degraded if a rider like Dan Martin is a favorite.[/quote]
Lol classic pisti.....maybe he will peak for it who knows.

 

[Carstenbf]

Think Valgren deserves a mention. Perhaps not among the top favourites, but then certainly in the tier below. Came second last edition, and with his win in Omloop and 4th in RvV, he's definately on form.

 

[RedheadDane]

Think Valgren deserves a mention. Perhaps not among the top favourites, but then certainly in the tier below. Came second last edition, and with his win in Omloop and 4th in RvV, he's definately on form.

Two years ago. Hard to believe, but it's actually 2018.

 

[WheelofGear]

Think Valgren deserves a mention. Perhaps not among the top favourites, but then certainly in the tier below. Came second last edition, and with his win in Omloop and 4th in RvV, he's certainly on form.

He is at least a much better bet for this type of racing than Fuglsang.

His puncher abilities on the flat (wtf?) are very unique. That's how he won his Omloop and avoided to sprint with GVA and co.

 

[Carstenbf]

Think Valgren deserves a mention. Perhaps not among the top favourites, but then certainly in the tier below. Came second last edition, and with his win in Omloop and 4th in RvV, he's definately on form.

Two years ago. Hard to believe, but it's actually 2018.

Oops. Time flies when you're having fun.

 

[movingtarget]

Matthews or Kwia for the win.

 

[DNP-Old]

Really tempted to lay Valverde regarding betting. Each and every year he is named one of the favorites, but in the end he (almost) never delivers in AGR. Too many twists and turns.

 

[Velolover2]

You are right. Not only does Valverde have the best uphill punch in the peloton, he also have one of the best engines in hilly terrain. But I've noticed that he is missing something, the ability to read an unpredictable race. Maybe that is why he hasn't tried the Northern classics more often. It's not always about being the strongest.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Really tempted to lay Valverde regarding betting. Each and every year he is named one of the favorites, but in the end he (almost) never delivers in AGR. Too many twists and turns.

He's got 3 podiums at Amstel. It's just not as suited to him as Fleche Wallone and LBL. The thing with Valverde is it doesn't matter what race it is, if he's on the start line he's a favorite. First time he raced Dwars he finished with the lead group and this year (2nd time he's raced it) made the decisive cut and finished 11th. That race is the least likely for him to be a favorite.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Re:

You are right. Not only does Valverde have the best uphill punch in the peloton, he also have one of the best engines in hilly terrain. But I've noticed that he is missing something, the ability to read an unpredictable race. Maybe that is why he hasn't tried the Northern classics more often. It's not always about being the strongest.

Now too old, not enough smart. It is not just one uphill sprint.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

Really tempted to lay Valverde regarding betting. Each and every year he is named one of the favorites, but in the end he (almost) never delivers in AGR. Too many twists and turns.

He's got 3 podiums at Amstel. It's just not as suited to him as Fleche Wallone and LBL. The thing with Valverde is it doesn't matter what race it is, if he's on the start line he's a favorite. First time he raced Dwars he finished with the lead group and this year (2nd time he's raced it) made the decisive cut and finished 11th. That race is the least likely for him to be a favorite.

Eh, the winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen said his attacks were relatively easy to follow. Valverde simply isn't good enough for the Flemish classics and Roubaix.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

Really tempted to lay Valverde regarding betting. Each and every year he is named one of the favorites, but in the end he (almost) never delivers in AGR. Too many twists and turns.

He's got 3 podiums at Amstel. It's just not as suited to him as Fleche Wallone and LBL. The thing with Valverde is it doesn't matter what race it is, if he's on the start line he's a favorite. First time he raced Dwars he finished with the lead group and this year (2nd time he's raced it) made the decisive cut and finished 11th. That race is the least likely for him to be a favorite.

Eh, the winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen said his attacks were relatively easy to follow. Valverde simply isn't good enough for the Flemish classics and Roubaix.

Um he still finished with the favorites, and you obviously cannot read. I said it is the LEAST likely for him to be considered a favorite.

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

Really tempted to lay Valverde regarding betting. Each and every year he is named one of the favorites, but in the end he (almost) never delivers in AGR. Too many twists and turns.

He's got 3 podiums at Amstel. It's just not as suited to him as Fleche Wallone and LBL. The thing with Valverde is it doesn't matter what race it is, if he's on the start line he's a favorite. First time he raced Dwars he finished with the lead group and this year (2nd time he's raced it) made the decisive cut and finished 11th. That race is the least likely for him to be a favorite.

Eh, the winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen said his attacks were relatively easy to follow. Valverde simply isn't good enough for the Flemish classics and Roubaix.

Nice try. The winner also said this:

"He made a good impression on me. He was with us after the Taaienberg and we went full gas on the Taaienberg. "Then you know he's not here to train. He's one of the best riders of the last century. I really look up to him, he's always in attack mode. Respect for his performance today."

No, he's not the type of rider that could perform well at Roubaix but he'd be just fine in the hillier Flemish classics if he wanted to focus on them

Anyway, this is a AGR thread. He's got a shot but there's certainly no real favorite.

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

I think Fuglsang has been quietly preparing himself for this, and can surprise people on Sunday..... through my main favorites are Valverde and Martin.

What has Dan Martin done this year to make him your favorite?

Ardennes classics have really degraded if a rider like Dan Martin is a favorite.

An experienced rider with 2 monument wins and a top 10 in the Tour last year shouldn’t be among the favourites for a series of races where he picked up 2 2nd places last season?

Granted he hasn’t shown much so far in 2018, but you can’t dismiss him. I think he’s an outsider for this Sunday, but he’s definitely one of the men to beat next week.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

Really tempted to lay Valverde regarding betting. Each and every year he is named one of the favorites, but in the end he (almost) never delivers in AGR. Too many twists and turns.

He's got 3 podiums at Amstel. It's just not as suited to him as Fleche Wallone and LBL. The thing with Valverde is it doesn't matter what race it is, if he's on the start line he's a favorite. First time he raced Dwars he finished with the lead group and this year (2nd time he's raced it) made the decisive cut and finished 11th. That race is the least likely for him to be a favorite.

Eh, the winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen said his attacks were relatively easy to follow. Valverde simply isn't good enough for the Flemish classics and Roubaix.

Nice try. The winner also said this:

"He made a good impression on me. He was with us after the Taaienberg and we went full gas on the Taaienberg. "Then you know he's not here to train. He's one of the best riders of the last century. I really look up to him, he's always in attack mode. Respect for his performance today."

No, he's not the type of rider that could perform well at Roubaix but he'd be just fine in the hillier Flemish classics if he wanted to focus on them

Anyway, this is a AGR thread. He's got a shot but there's certainly no real favorite.

Doesn't change the fact that he said his attacks were easy to follow. And he's just bull-shitting when he says Valverderde is always in attack mode lol, he never attacks in races that matter.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

I think Fuglsang has been quietly preparing himself for this, and can surprise people on Sunday..... through my main favorites are Valverde and Martin.

What has Dan Martin done this year to make him your favorite?

Ardennes classics have really degraded if a rider like Dan Martin is a favorite.

An experienced rider with 2 monument wins and a top 10 in the Tour last year shouldn’t be among the favourites for a series of races where he picked up 2 2nd places last season?

Granted he hasn’t shown much so far in 2018, but you can’t dismiss him. I think he’s an outsider for this Sunday, but he’s definitely one of the men to beat next week.

His Lombardia win was kind of laughable, I still don't understand how Valverde *** that one up lol.

Devolder is also a two-time Monument winner, doesn't make him any less of a joke.

Someone like Dan Martin would've gotten destroyed in the Bartoli-Bettini era of cycling.

 

[Leinster]

His Lombardia win was kind of laughable, I still don't understand how Valverde **** that one up lol.

Devolder is also a two-time Monument winner, doesn't make him any less of a joke.

Someone like Dan Martin would've gotten destroyed in the Bartoli-Bettini era of cycling.

How do you know Bartoli/Bettini wouldn’t have been shut down in this era of cycling and ended up behind Valverde and Martin in the sprints in Huy and Ans?

If anything that Lombardia was BMC’s to lose, they were the team with 2 men in the finale and if Sanchez kept the speed up, Gilbert should have had enough in the sprint to make it close with Bala. But everyone watched PG and AV, and nobody watched Martin.

Fact is, anyone with Martin’s palmares (top 10s and podiums in all the hilly week long stage races, wins/podiums in all the hilly classics bar Amstel) is always going to be in the discussion for the Ardennes. Maybe he won that Lombardia exactly because everyone else underestimated him in that finale the same as you are now.

 

[Sciatic]

There are 7 U.S. riders on the startlist--that's got to be the most for a classic since the Postal days?

 

[Koronin]

There are 7 U.S. riders on the startlist--that's got to be the most for a classic since the Postal days?

Garmin/Cannondale/EF Education First have sent a bunch of Americans at different times to different races so it may have been more recent than US Postal, however that is more than there have been in while. Also a bit on the surprising side.